Fat-Adaptation and Carbs Confusion

Hi all,

I'm currently following a reasonably low carb diet for most meals; I usually have some blueberries or blackberries in the full fat yoghurt I have each morning and some veggies as well (not in the yoghurt ). The exception to this is after workouts when I'm reducing fat and upping the carbs (white rice or sweet potatoes mostly). These carb meals were a response to the reasonable levels of exercise I do and the requirement for greater muscle mass and energy levels (for rugby):

Cycle to work each day - only a flat 4 miles each way at present, but soon to be 9 miles with a single modest hill
Heavy Weights 3 times a week
Rugby training 1.5 hrs 1 or 2 times a week
Rugby match each Saturday

It's trial and error for everyone. Have a look into cycling carbs. Keep them low most of the time and then either carb up around work-outs (targeted) or just once every 7-10 days (cyclical).
This seems to work best for myself. Incidentally I had full fat Greek yoghurt (from Lidl, some great Primal stuff in there!) with grapes the other day, 2 days in a row, and it slowed down my progress (measured in inches). Back to cyclical ketogenic for me without fruit until I am at my target, and then it will be nice to add the fruit back.
But yes, I agree with the previous poster, don't fear carbs at all after work-outs (though if fat loss is the main goal and not so much muscle gain, then don't go too wild).

Thanks for the quick responses; two reassuring answers to start with! I'm not concerned about losing weight (the low carb diet combined with the exercise seems to keep me trim enough), just wanted to check that the post-workout carbs weren't obviously going to hamper the fat burning efficiency drive.

a carb heavy meal post workout will not diminish your ability to burn fat. people that will argue otherwise are so extreme that they've fallen off the deep end.

but since this is an internet forum, you'll get ten people who will disagree with me soon. aint it grand?

You're so wrong! Just kidding. Despite my practicing this primal thing, about 6 years ago I changed my diet not even knowing fully what a calorie was. All I did was stop eating fast and fried food, added a ton of fruits and veggies and I lost a lot of weight...without even trying - I was just trying to get my digestive system in order. I hardly ate meat, but did eat fish. With that said, I'm willing to bet my carb intake took up most of my diet - and - I only walked for exercise. So yes; everyone is certainly different. I think the trial and error process seems prolonged for those who have a set goal; but ultimately if you go through that process, you find you know what to do for your own body and don't waste time doing exactly what you read (I'm guilty of that).

I've been essentially primal for a couple of years now, so am pretty lean and healthy to boot. I definitely think people get far too hung up on the fine details (I know I do sometimes), especially when starting out on the PB. What I struggle with is the fine tuning required to suit my individual needs.

As heatherdarbs mentions above, this tuning is a long difficult process because the changes made tend to take a while to have noticeable effect, unlike say cutting out grains, which can have a drastic impact in a couple of weeks.